Download Ghana Funeral Songs

Mbabila "Small" Batoh and his group would perform at funerals in Ghana through the night, singing the departed into the afterlife. Batoh died this month at age 74, reportedly of COVID. Marilena Umuhoza Delli for NPR hide caption

He could riff almost endlessly, and his performances grew freer and stronger past the 10-minute mark. At funerals, Small and his group would often play and sing from midday to long past dawn, ending only when the family felt that their loved one had been sung onward from this world and into the afterlife.

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I first encountered Small's music while visiting Ghana to record at the region's witch camps in late 2018. I heard tell of his funeral songs and after I searched him out, he expressed interest in making a record.

Small devoted himself to alleviating the grief of others. Recordings of his own voice now help those closest to him mourn. Yet, in a gut-wrenching twist, Small's family finds themselves unable to fund his own funeral. Quite prophetically, his final release is the single, "Death Can Come at Any Time," for which all proceeds benefit his survivors.

Funeral hymns are an important part of a Christian funeral service in the UK as they can help bring the congregation together and bring comfort to those in attendance. Hymns are traditional across many different denominations of Christianity and just like other types of music; they can be happy, sad or inspirational.

Based on a 19th century Swedish song and poem, How Great Thou Art is about the beauty of nature. Many people choose it for a funeral service as the lyrics help put things into perspective during such a difficult time.

Many people believe a funeral should be a serious and sombre occasion, though in recent years, more and more people are beginning to break the mould by opting for a celebration of life. We have listed some uplifting hymns which will help bring comfort to those attending the funeral service.

Traditionally, at least two hymns are sung at a Christian funeral service, though you may wish to choose more. There is typically an opening hymn and a closing hymn but it is best to speak to whomever is leading the ceremony before the day of the funeral and when you are creating a funeral order of service.

The Dancing Pallbearers are led by Benjamin Aidoo, who started the group as a regular pallbearer service in 2003.[2][7] He later had the idea of adding choreography to their pallbearing work. Extra fees are charged for dancing with the coffin during a funeral.[8]

In the UK, people are starting to get used to the idea that funerals can be a celebration of life. But in Ghana, nothing but the liveliest, most colourful celebration will do. From dancing pallbearers to fantasy shaped coffins, many Ghanaians believe that the best way to honour a loved one is to throw a party.

Indeed, hundreds or even thousands of people may attend one funeral, coming from far and wide to participate. Bereaved families will advertise funeral arrangements on large billboards in prominent public places, costing up to 13,000 Ghanian Cedi, or around 2,400.

Ghanaian funerals can cost an enormous amount; anywhere up to 16,000 and beyond. The extraordinary amount spent on funerals has been a cause for concern in recent years, with government officials and religious leaders imploring Ghanaians to invest their money in the living, rather than the dead. The extravagant funeral rituals, however, continue to be popular.

Funeral services in Ghana usually take place on Saturdays. The time between the death and the funeral can vary widely, depending on how far away mourners will have to travel to be present. This can mean that several months can pass before the funeral takes place.

Mourners will arrive dressed in black, or black and red. These are the traditional funeral colours used in Ghana. Often mourners will wear mostly black, while close family members of the person who has died will wear more red.

When mourners arrive, they are expected to express their condolences to the head of the bereaved family and shake hands. Then, they shake hands and convey their sympathies to other family members, according to precedence. Once this is completed, mourners will usually make a donation towards the funeral costs. Sometimes an announcer will read a list of all the donations made.

In recent years, people in the UK have started to become aware of an enchanting Ghanaian funeral tradition: the fantasy coffin. These beautiful works of art are fully-functioning caskets, made to look like all manner of animals and objects, from lions and chickens, to designer shoes and cars.

In fact, companies are now emerging in the UK offering custom coffins in almost any design imaginable. Nottingham-based Crazy Coffins counts a Rolls Royce, a ballet shoe and even the Starship Enterprise among its incredible creations. Perhaps Brits are looking to embrace the party atmosphere and creativity of the Ghanaian funeral.

Homecoming transformed over time, and Black Americans have created funeral traditions that are celebrations of life. In many Black Christian churches, death is about reuniting with the loved ones, ancestors, God and Christ. It is viewed as a victory, but also a time to mourn if needed.

Most of the songs during Black funerals are old and traditional Black Christian hymns, contemporary music is seldom used. These older songs bring families back to their roots, in a way that is unique to awakening the nostalgia of home and Africa.

Black American funeral traditions were born out of the ashes of African traditions that were seemingly eliminated during the diaspora. However, both Black American and African cultures have not only survived, they have flourished against all odds.

The combination of both traditional African themes with Christain influences reflects the impacts of colonization and apartheid that shaped how funerals would develop and transform over time for all African peoples and their descendenants around the world.

While every day is an opportunity for song and music, during funerals, their music takes on new life. With a huge multiplicity of religious influences ranging from worshipping the deity Olodumare, to Christanity and Islam after colonization, the beliefs have remained expansive, and as a result, so has their music.With liveliness, color and soul, there is nothing like a Yoruba burial song.

While the music of Black American funerals and African funerals are alike in some ways and different in others, the truth remains, that no matter the brutality of life, in death the spirits within Black people will always live on.

In death as much as in life, music unites humankind. Music marks every milestone of the human condition. The similarity in musical structure and colour of funeral songs across such varied groups is remarkable and perhaps a reminder of where we all came from. Mostly, the joy and the beauty of music at such occasions allow us to pause and reflect on a life lived well. A celebration and a continuity of life itself. 006ab0faaa